A Girl And Her Seviper
by QuidQuidLatineDictumSitAltumSo
Summary: Re-Reposted. Chapters under construction. Just as it says. A girl starts her Pokemon Journey with Seviper.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: They Live**_

Voices of the forest rang throughout the atmosphere, reassuring everyone that all was as it should be. Beads of moisture slithered down green chutes of grass as the newly woken sun stretched lazily into the sky, preparing to begin its daily trek through the blue substance. A sudden bang followed by a shout and an angry retort rang through the forest. The disturbance itself disrupted the morning's chorus for only an instant, it was the shouts that followed the noise what silenced the symphony, and the tension which followed the stillness stretched onward before more yelling met with the heavens. A sharp, crisp, slap pierced the fuzz of angry voices before peace settled and the singers nervously resumed where they had left off, once sure the commotion had passed.

A girl's soft footsteps trickled perfectly into the symphony of life as a young child sprinted through the forest, hardly needing to open eyes closed tight to her stubburn tears in order to travel this familiar path. It must have been fate, then, for her to stumble, having tripped over an upraised root. At least the wet grasses were more merciful than reality. She did not bother regaining her feet, preferring instead to wallow in her self-pity for just a moment longer. The child sniffled and choked back her millionth sob as she heard movement in the shadows behind her.

She tensed in anger at the thought that her tormentor would dare to follow her into her sanctuary, the forest. As quickly as the tsunami of fury had come it passed again as she realized that this was not the sound of Father coming to retrieve her, but of a slinking slithering ...thing. A large animal of some sort? The girl turned half-way 'round and screamed as she flipped on her back and used her elbows to crabwalk herself from the glowing red eyes that glared from within the shadows.

The child's breath hitched as pure terror flowed throughout her veins at the mere sight of the supernatural eyes in the shadows. Had it been any other day than today the girl would have had no problem suffocating to death from her fear. But today, she had had enough. Something within her youthful heart snapped and pure unadulterated rage poured out, and that emotion was all it took to harden her resolve. The tears she had been fighting as she ran finally broke free, only this time they were not sorrowful self-pitying tears, but drops of a quivering spitting venom that had been fermenting within her heart for months. The child rose to her feet and glared back at the eyes, which narrowed slightly in return.

"Go ahead! Eat me!" Screamed the enormously small child, "I swear I'll choke you on the way down!" The determined look on her face was enough to assure anyone that she meant every word of what escaped the raw torn thing that served as this girl's throat, and would not go down without a vicious fight. The dangerous glint left the predator's eye as it emerged slowly from the shadows, its long obsidian body decorated in gold as its slit pupils glided over the not-so-delicate morsel before it. Two enormous maroon fangs overlapped its bottom jaw and a matching sword-like tail-tip swished over the leaves as it came closer to its prey. It emitted a low hiss, an amused glint entering it's eyes. Slowly the child's still-simmering anger died away, this girl could now sense that the danger to her had passed.

"You're so…pretty…" purred the youth as she reached for the glistening hide of the serpent. Its eyes narrowed slightly once more, suspicious of what the filly was up to, but relaxed once it realized the human only wanted to feel.

Instead of dwelling on how undignified it would seem to have this sweaty filthy human's hands on his hide, the serpent reveled in the mood-shifts of this hatchling, and how easily she forgot her danger. Perhaps he should remind her? The serpent prepared to do just that, and he parted his jaws slightly, before the morsel surprised him yet again by drying her eyes and sniffling slightly to clear her nose.

"My name is Jasmine." She introduced. "Are you an Ekans? Or an Arbok?" The serpent hissed slightly, a little offended she would mistake him for such a mundane creature after the journey he had endured, and shook its head

Never had a prey item been able to intrigue and charm him before, but now it couldn't possibly eat this naïve yet firey enigma of a lass.

"Are you hungry? Why don't you come to my house, I'll find you something to eat." Jasmine gestured cutely and the serpent, curious, followed.

So began a friendship.

_**several Years Later...**_

"Class, tomorrow there will be a member of the top Pokemon Trainer's Elite Four visiting our school in honor of our founder, his great-great grandfather. Because of this you are all urged to bring your Pokemon in celebration." The teacher handed out the last of the worksheets in professional time, an instant before the bell rang. "Don't forget to research your reports and study your elements!"

Jasmine gathered her notebooks and stuffed them into her book-bag, placing her pencil in the holder at the side before lifting it over her shoulder and joining the rest of the heard as they pushed their way toward the exit.

_'Like so many sheep'_... Jasmine could not help but think, slightly disgusted. '_I wonder where the wolves got to.'_

"Move it." Growled a particularly nasty but pretty and popular girl as she shoved passed the teen to join the rest of the flock, while Jasmine stood behind the wolf in sheeps clothing she kept her face neutral even as her insides seethed with a burning anger.

She nodded to several of her friends as they passed by in the hallway. They would smile or wave a one-finger salute in her direction as they brushed by.

As the traffic cleared the young woman exited and took the only dirt path near her school, not bothering to dodge the condescending looks that followed her on her way to work. The Mart was hardly ever busy, and no teenagers were caught dead even looking at the merchandise when there was an over-the-top and pricey pokemon shop down by the lake, it was all about style nowadays, and so accordingly most her classmates prefered the malls to the traditional and functional PokeMart

She didn't really mind the chink in her imaginary reputation. Working at the Poke Mart was really a good source of income and she loved the old man who ran the shop like a father. He would let her take tastey Poke Treats home to Seviper and sometimes she would even catch a Rattata or Raticate in the basement for him to eat. The best part though was that she was making enough to put some into savings and had finally saved enough to order a custom-made pokeball for Seviper. She was supposed to receive said poke ball today.

That meant she would ask Seviper to be her Pokemon Partner tonight.

Jasmine almost laughed out loud at the thought before a nervous twitch found its way into her stomach. "I feel like I'm proposing a marriage." Sighed the youth as she opened the shop-door and set her backpack on the counter as the bell twinkled to signal the door's close behind her.

"Jasmine? That you?" Walter's voice rasped from the back. "Jasmine! You're early as always. How's that snake of yours? Did he enjoy the Raticate we found?"

"Yes Walter, thank you. Did my Poke-ball come in?" Queried the young woman as she set her backpack behind the counter, donned an apron as a uniform, pulled up her long sleeves and armed herself with a feather duster to began her epic battle of dusting the shelves.

"As a matter of fact it did! Its in this box here!" He held up a jewelry-like box reminding the teenager ever more of the ring-box for an engagement ring. "I'll just put it in your back-pack."

"Thank you Walter…" The young woman finished up with the dusting and moved on to sweeping the floors. "How does this place get so filthy in one day?" Sighed the teenager as she swept the ridiculous amount of dirt into the pan.

"We're located on an unpaved road, whenever a costumer comes in they track about three pounds of dust in with them…but it gives us that nice homely look, doesn't it?" Walter got a sly look to his eye, "and it keeps you employed."

Jasmine chuckled slightly at this, unable and unwilling to deny the old man's words, before opening the door and empyting the dust-pan around the corner.

A sigh escaped Jasmine's lips as she watched the sun sink below the horizon; at least she did not have to stay at home all day with her insane father anymore. The young woman supressed an angry snort, that man was no father to anyone. Hardly even a gaurdian, really.

Soon enough her shift at the Poke Mart was over, Walter had gone home to spend the rest of the night with his wife and she had to lock up the store tightly before traversing the moonlit road to her house.

Jasmine was so wrapped up in her nervous thoughts that she failed to notice the shadow which had slid into her wake. she kicked at a pebble as she walked with her head bowed in contempation as the dark shade slithered ever closer behind her, two glowing red eyes regaurded the girl with mischevious intentions as she walked her familiar path. All at once it reared up and wrapped itself around the girl, causing her to scream slightly and fall to the ground in a fit of ticklish giggles.

"Viper!" Jasmine gasped, as she pushed the snake's head and tickling flickering tongue away from her. "What are you doing so close to work and shcool?" Even in the dark, you never knew when trainers were around that might try to capture him... he was still wild technically.

_You were late_. The serpent hissed gently in reply.

"You were worried." Grinned the teenager cheekily. The serpent scoffed but made no comment. Instead choosing to release her from his coils and slither beside his comrade His fangs glistened slightly with the powerful toxins that were always dripping slowly from the tips and all at once the young woman realized just how careful Seviper was with her. For she had seen those same fangs peirce jugulars and those same coils crush the life out of countless prey items. The thought was a sobering one, but also caused a strange warmth to spread over her chest. Had Seviper wished it, she would have been one of those countless prey items upon their first meeting. It was a horrifying and thrilling thought, Jasmine wondered what she had done to catch the interest of the serpent, and preserve her life in his eyes.

The pair entered the house without incident, cutting through the filth and straight to Jasmine's room. The young woman attempted to calm her fluttering heart as she groped for the box that contained the Pokeball. As her fingers closed around the heavy velvet box again Jasmine was reminded of a marrige proposal. The young woman then turned toward the Seviper and fell to one knee. _'May as well add some comic releif_.' The snake shot her a strange but still amused look before she began.

She opened the box and in the light of the full moon the real obsidian shone and the golden plates danced with sparkles. The device was sealed with a maroon line that matched his tail and fangs perfectly and the middle was like his eye.

"Seviper," She began, blushing as she felt emberassing tears threatening to choke her, "I humbly propose that we become lifelong Partners, supporting and assisting one another till our very bitter ends." There was a pregnant pause where neither of them moved and Jasmine did not dare to breath, the serpent regaurded her and Jasmine could have sworn the snakes eyes were more glossy than usual with suppressed emotion as the serpent came forward and gently tapped his nose to the eye-like activation device. He was sucked into the ball with no struggle. Jasmine held the device to her chest as it shrank back down to its portable size. She enjoyed the pleasant buzz in her mind, while it informed her body that all was well. Her gaze fell to a black leather strap which had fallen halfway out of her backpack in her blind groping.

"A Pokeball holster!" Gasped the young lady as she lifted and inspected the high-quality item before she attatched the Pokeball to it and set it gently on her nightstand. "Thanks Walter." She murmmured with a soft smile before crawling into bed and falling fast asleep.

_**Morning.**_

Jasmine pried her eyes open at the sound of her radio alarm clock and immediately turned back over to go back to sleep, one arm groping lazily for the off-switch of the alarm clock and instead coming into contact with leather and a cold material. She drew her hand back as if it were burned, but immedietley sat up and seized the cold substances remembering the events of last night and smiling widely as a result. The young woman readied her school uniform before hopping into the shower and preparing herself for what was bound to be an entertaining day of school. Jasmine attatched the Pokeball holster to her jeans and shouldered her bag as she walked out the door and along the all too well known trail to school.

Jasmine arrived just before the bell and dogged her way through the excited murmurs of fellow teenagers, seating herself in the only remaining open chair in front of the 'wolf' from yesterday, which, due to her normally late arrival times, was her usual seat.

"I didn't know you had a Pokemon." The wolf-girl's voice was like nails on a chalkboard to the young woman with it's sickly sweet qualities. As if speaking to someone not of the popular crowd were something to loose face over she quickly added. "I didn't know they had Pokemon for losers."

Jasmine closed her ears to the annoying girl behind her, and ignored the twich she felt at her side, where Seviper was stirred awake by the rash words, keeping her eyes glued to the teacher who had dedicated today's session to educating the class on Pokemon elements and how to use the elements of individual pokemons to one's own advantage in a battle. Although Jasmine had been playing the pokemon videogames for years, and so already knew the basics, it wouldn't hurt to listen. She felt better, calmer, and more centered just having Seviper near.

"Wow, look its got gold plates on it! Its really pretty." One of the less bitch-like girls gushed.

"I'll bet its not even real gold, the thing's probably empty and made out of plastic." Giggled the one behind her. "Or even worse, it's a Magikarp." Again the chortling of her voice met Jasmine's ears and she tensed, closing her eyes again to get her mind and sudden anger under control.

"Jasmine, would you come to the front of the class please, since you obviously know enough of these elements to sleep through them." The teacher's words caused her to open her eyes and heave a long-sffering sigh, raising from her desk Jasmine walked through the field of students, some sympathetic some mocking and others neutral. "Ah, I see you have a Pokemon, what is it's element?" The teacher's eyes glinted, she was not above humiliating a student into paying attention.

"Poison, Ma'am." Replied the young woman, causing the teacher to frown. Had the teacher seriously thought she would not know the element of her own partner? How ridiculous. Anyone who did not know the element of their Pokemon was not meant to be a trainer.

"Name the strengths and weaknesses of the poison element." The teachers eyes bore into her's and Jasmine sighed, really, she had read, re-read, played and re-played through all of this information way before she dared to ask Seviper to remain by her side.

"Poison's attack is strong against grass-type pokemon, poison's defense is strong against fighting-type moves, poison's attack is useless against steel-type pokemon, poisons defense is extremely weak against ground and psychic-type moves." Jasmine's eyes locked with her teacher's and fought the urge to smirk at the teachers dissapointed scowl.

"Very good. You _have _been paying attention." The teacher stated, even though they had not covered any but the basic elements of Fire, Grass and Water. "Tell me, would your poison type come out victorious against a Machop?" Something about the woman's tone made Jasmine nervous, and so she bit back her automatic retort of _'yes' _and decided on a less commiting answer.

"It would depend on the Pokemon's expertise in battling." Jasmine evaded.

"I see…you may return to your seat." The teacher was clearly still dissapointed whcih meant that she had dodged a huge bullet. Jasmine obliged, refusing to dodge the quirked eyebrows that followed her or the whisper of _'what a pokemon nerd' _from one nasty girl in particular.

Before long the bell rang for lunch break and Jasmine packed her bag and took it with her out to the campus where many of her class-mates were releasing their Pokemon to show off. The majority owned Rattata and Pidgey. Some had tougher pokemon such as Pidgeotto and Raticate. A few had Poliwag and Poliwhirl one even had Poliwrath, though the beast would not listen to the young man. Koffing and Weezing made some apperances, and one group was composed entirely of Ekans and Arbok owners.

She stopped suddenly as she saw a very attractive young man caught her gaze. He was definatley too old to be in high school but not too old to be attractive to high school girls. His dark hair stood straight up and defied gravity and he wore a tight black outfit with a dramatic cape. She assumed he was Lance and he was in deep conversation with the principle his eyes trained interestedly on the pokemon and the battles going on.

"Jasmine!" Called Courtney one of her long-time friends from elementary school. Her attention was broken and she turned before she smiled and embraced the hyperactive girl with one arm while looking down at her leg.

"Wow I never took you for a Growlithe lover. He's beautiful." Jasmine complimented and the dog puffed-out his chest proudly.

"His name is Puppers!" The girl replied as she petted him, "Oops I have to go Corey wanted me to battle against his Charmander! Wish me luck!" She was gone as soon as she had appeared and Jasmine was left alone with Viper. She glanced hopefully only to deflate as the hot hunk of man-flesh was found to be gone.

_Mmmm snacks_... She heard Seviper hiss from within his pokeball, and she could not help but smirk. The obsidian ball at her hip twitched slightly and the grin quickly dissipated as she shook her head, Seviper wanted to show off, but she would have none of it. Attention was not something she was keen on attracting, especially not the attention of... Oh god too late, that wolf-bitch was already comming towards her.

"Jasmine, why don't you send you're Pokemon out?" Queried the voice she wanted most to avoid. The teen turned halfway 'round spying the nasty girl with the overly-smug Pidgeotto at her side. "I have a better idea, why don't we have a battle? That is, unless you're too afraid. I won't blame you." The Pokeball twitched once more, drawing attention to it.

"Fine." _'if nobody else is going to stand up to her…I suppose I'll have to_.' Jasmine disattatched the Pokeball with one hand and pressed the activation device expanding the specially developed obsidian.

"Pidgy-Pie get out there and make me proud!" The Pidgeotto flew to land just beyond its partner, while Jasmine threw the specially made Pokeball into the air, releasing a jet black shadow that solidified into Seviper. He hissed menacingly and reared up to intimidate the enemy, the pidgeotto chirped and cowared, beginning to back off. "Pidgy-Pie, fight!" The slightly nervous voice of the enemy growled. "Tackle that overgrown worm!"

Jasmine watched as the bird flew at her partner, her mind reeling, this was her first real battle ever. She knew she had to say something, to command Seviper as the bird dove at him again and again, barely missing him one dive only to slice open a gash on his side another time as seviper writhed in awkward angles to avoid the attacks. Her heart clenched as she watched the quick bird injure her comrade. Finally Jasmine recalled one of the TM moves she had offered Seviper last year and steeled herself.

"Seviper, sludge bomb!" Exclaimed Jasmine at last, earning a grin from the serpent as it's crimson fangs began to drip a sickly purple substance before the venom was expelled from the mouth and came into contact with the Pideotto's eyes, spreading to cover its feathers and bring it to the ground, there it struggled vainly only to stick as if glued. The serpent hissed his satisfaction and returned to his partner, who put her arm around him proudly. "You did good Seviper." Grinned the teen as she watched her opponent recall her Pigeotto and shuffle off to the girl's bathroom to sulk.

"Oh wow! I tried to catch one of those last month but it was totally out of my league" One of the Ekans owners came over with his snake, to make conversation.

"That is a Seviper, if I am not mistaken." A rich voice broke into the conversation. Jasmines heart clenched for an entirely different reason as she turned to see Lance. A blush slowly began to spread over her cheeks. "Excuse me, I saw your Pokemon's magnificent performance! Not bad for a beginner!" The dragon tamer shook hands with the Ekans owner, eyeing Seviper with admiration. The serpent seemed to scoff before wrapping protectively around the girl he had come to call a friend.

"Tha-Thank you sir! But it's not mine." The snake keeper gestured to Jasmine whom had her hand wrapped around the serpents fang, checking it for god knows what as casually as if she were walking home from school. Really the girl was trying to distract herself from the member of the elite four. The man did a double-take and shook his head in wonder as he made his way toward Jasmine. Seviper hissed warningly as the stranger came close, he didn't like the smell Jasmine put off whenever she caught sight of him, his slit eyes narrowing and preparing to deliver a paralyzing glare. Jasmine quirked an eyebrow at the serpent before turning to face the "enemy".

"Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself." The man bowed to the young Trainer politely, and Seviper relaxed slightly at the, in his mind, submissive display. "I am Lance. And might I have your name?" She had to bite back a humiliatingly girlish giggle at his suave approach.

"Jasmine." The young teen felt her cheeks begin to flush even more deeply at the handsome Elite four member, the serpent flicked his tongue in her direction and rolled his eyes at the level of pharmone she was outputting, but hung back. If his trainer wanted to make a fool of herself, he would not stop her, indeed he would actually enjoy seeing her flustered, it was always quite entertaining.

"Jasmine! And tell me, where did a nice young lady like you learn to control such a riley Pokemon?" The gentleman seemed genuinely interested, causing Jasmine's breath to almost catch as she barely avoided breaking down in hysterical giggles. Finally grabing ahold of her self Jasmine replied.

"He found me in the forest a few years ago." The flush in her cheeks began rising as the handsome tall man leaned closer to take her hand. Seviper, while thouroughly amused, would have none of that, however, and threw his body in front of his Trainer's, hissing angrily at Lance and successfully backing him off. Though Jasmine did not see it, a calculating spark had entered the eyes of the young man and he grinned at his own internal secret.

"Seviper! That behavior is uncalled for!" The snake backed off and lifted his head, snorting unconcernedly. She knew better than to ask for an apology from the snake, that snort would be the closest thing the guy would get. "I'm sorry." She said on the snakes behalf, "I don't know what his problem is." Lance waved it aside.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." Smiled the older Trainer with a twinkle of something mysterious in his eyes as he turned to take his leave, seeing him prepare to walk away Jasmine thought she felt her heart start to break. "Oh! I almost forgot," She caught her breath in her throat hopefully as she leaned forward expectantly. The man fished around in his cloak for a moment before pulling out a coupon.

Jasmine blinked in dissapointed confusion at the paper once she realized it did not, in fact, have his number on it.

"Go to the address listed on the back and show the owner this paper, he'll supply you with the necessities you need in order to become a true Trainer." The Elite four Champion winked at Jasmine before heading out, leaving a tremulous duo in his wake.

_**Home**_

"It would be a relief to leave this place…" The teen admitted as she gazed around the shack. "And I'm sure father wont mind…" She ignored the sarcastic grunt this severe understatement elicited from her companion and reclined against her bed, Seviper coiled around her for warmth and comfort. "But there will be points I'll miss…" She gazed longingly at the mirror upon which photos of her school friends and pictures of days long past with her parents resided.

'Take them with you' Offered the serpent, who's eyes had followed hers, but the young woman shook her head but seemed to get an idea.

"Maybe I will take some of them, but other ones will just remind me of what I never had. And I would rather enjoy what I do have, like a beautiful, strong, intelligent and loving partner, than spoil it with what could have been if someone I barely remember hadn't died." The young woman fingered the obsidian pokemon next to her lovlingly, enjoying the feel of his scales beneith her fingers. She reached onto her nightstand and withdrew the pokeball and holster "This is the only material I need, this, and maybe some money and food too i suppose. It would be nice to get a phone to call my friends but I don't have the money for that." She tossed a half-smile Seviper's way before rising to a sitting position. "But what about Walter? I'll miss him terribly." She frowned.

'And I shall miss his snacks. We…do not have to go, if you so wish.' The serpent did not sound so thrilled to stay, indeed he seemed almost pained to make that offer, but she knew he would keep his word and do it for her. A wave of guilt crashed over the youth as she recalled all the sacrifices Seviper had gone through for her. It was time for her to make some sacrifices on his behalf, and the first one would be saying goodbye to the few things she had come to hold near and dear, just as he had done to the freedom he had so loved.

"I won't keep you from this Seviper, I will go." The two shared a smile and embrace before the packing began, and, soon after, the journey.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: They Trek**_

It felt as if there were fire flowing within her very veins. This passion, it was everything she had ever craved. And this was just the road leading away from town, no telling how she would feel once the real adventure began. She would miss Walter and her school-friends, but he and they had all seemed overjoyed that she and Seviper were finally bringing themselves around to starting this journey, and Walter had even given her free Pokeballs, stating only that he would miss her cleanliness. The old man never was one for long goodbyes, or emotional ones either, come to think of it.

Seviper's obsidian Pokeball was secured within the matching halter and the teen kept herself on high alert, her mind racing to think of possible threats to this journey. Her father would definatley not follow her, probally would not even know she was gone for the first week. Not until he ran out of booze and sobered up. She wondered briefly what he would do, how he would feel. Then shrugged it off, it was a long time in the future before she would see that man again.

For just an instant she felt as though she had done something horrible; he was her father, afterall, even if it was only biologically. And all she felt for him was a dull numbness where hope and love used to dwell...she remembered a time when they used to love one another, a time when her life was more than slinking from one place to another behind her fathers back. But that had been a long, long time ago. Almost too long ago for Jasmine recall.

And what place did such positive emotions such as hope and love have to stay in regards to that man? They had nobody to nurture them; the flowerbed of their relationship had lost its gardener, and so all the color had begun to die; only to be replaced with horrible weeds that held any and all healthy growth in check.

The death of Jasmine's mother was what had turned both their lives on their ears. Before, they had been a happy family just the three of them, Father had never touched a drop of liquor or raised a hand to anyone, But after that day he had turned inward, ignoring her presance almost completely unless to punish her for some imaginary crime. Deep down she knew he was still hurting just as much as she was, and having to see her an almost exact replica of her mother...Jasmine also understood that on some level he blamed himself for Mother's passing, And that the guilt was what had driven him to the maniac depressive state he now inhibited at every waking moment. That was what had caused him to drink nothing but alchohol. That was why he made everyone around him miserable.

It was not entirley his fault, he was still undergoing the mourning process, even after all these years. Jasmine had moved on, she had been young enough so that she could heal and infact barely remembered her mother at all. But still the subliminal scars remained impressed upon her in the form of a terrible cynicysm that faded in and out of her heart. A heart that refused to love another human so wholeheartedly as she had loved both her parents ever again.

The youth heaved a sigh, she understood that her Father had not been in the right state of mind since that rueful day had snapped him out of his happy eutopia and thrust him into this solitude with the responsiblity of a young child. But it had been his choice to dwell on what could not be fixed which turned him into such a lonely monster. After a certain age you had nobody to blame but yourself. Just as Jasmine was the only one to blame for sometimes being so dark and cynical. This path was her choice, and if someday she were to correct such a choice, than so be it.

If she were to correct it, however, it would not be on this day.

Seviper lounged placidly within his Pokeball, his mind lucid as his red eyes watched the world outside the walls of his new home. The slight rocking Jasmine's movements forced upon the ball were calming, and allowed him to totter contentedly upon the razor-edge of waking and sleeping. Finally his mind's eye turned inward and he slipped into a state of light but blissful slumber.

It was pleasant in here, that much the serpent had admitted to himself. He never would have guessed all those years ago when he was still predator number one in the wild, that captivity could be so...comfortable. The snake almost shivered at the prospect, but he knew that there was no denying the calm order and comfortable atmosphere he had been allowed into. His partner alotted him food, whenever he desired it, companionship when he was lonely but above all, his partner had given him strength above anything he had ever dreamed before, even before they were one unit and still mere tentitive friends.

The serpent was grateful to this human. He felt that within his reptillian, supposedly cold blooded, heart an affection had developed for her. One that outweighed almost every other love in his once unfeeling heart. He had long ago come to terms with his slow realization that he would die for this human, for his human. Contented with his thoughts, Seviper slipped more deeply into his pool of dreams.

The sun finally began to sink slowly behind the sillhouetted trees, shadows streatched to encompass Jasmine in their snarled embrace, the youth shivered as the cool fingers of the shades caressed her skin. She needed to find a place to camp for the night. The young trainer's muscles tensed as the last of the suns rays slunk out of sight, leaving her only with the light of the stars. Just a bit further, then she would lay out camp.

the hair on the back of her neck stood up as she heard the far off howls of a pack of nocturnal dogs and she began to wrack her mind for which species dwelt here that would make that eerie sound.

Jasmine's quickened steps faultered for an instant as a cacophony of otherworldly snarls surrounded her. They were everywhere. Behind, ahead, beside, and yet all she could see were glowing yellow eyes leering out at her from the concealing brush. The youg woman had moved her body to the side and crouched slightly instinctually and now she fingered Sevipers pokeball nervously, there was no way he could take all these creatures, and no way in hell was she going to send him to his death. A growl, deeper and infinatley more terrifying than the others, spun the youth around and set her heart from skipping to racing. How could she even hear the horrifying gnashing of these creatures teeth over the pounding of blood in her head?

The beast behind her was a beautiful demon, to say the least. Even bathed in the pale moonlight as it was, its fur was still blacker than the night air around it with a pristine skull staring accusingly at her from where it was perched regally atop it's hound-like head. Despite the utter panic she felt, Jasmine could still admire the lovliness of this specimen. Suddenly the facts about these creature's came barreling into her mind.

They were called Houndour.

Houndour traveled in packs.

Packs like wolves.

Wolves had leaders.

This was the Houndour's leader.

If she could just manage to spook him somehow, she was sure that he would sound the retreat. If the entire group were to attack, she and Seviper were done for.

Her deilemma was, what on God's green earth could spook the hounds of hell themselves? Surely simply throwing sticks and stones would not do the trick, likely such a fool-hearty act would merely serve to piss these creatures off.

Suddenly one darted in from the right and she yelped in surprised pain as a cut opened up on her leg and a small trickle of blood flowed down. It stung like hell but she knew it was not serious and so kept her feet and steeled herself.

She glared into the eyes of the leader who glared right back with a rumble in its throat. The bones atop its head and sides gave it an ethereal quality that had her covered in goose-bumps as she imagined the beasts real eyes to be the socketless skull boring into her soul.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: They Fight**_

The serpent came awake suddenly at the smell of his partners blood. He could feel the hesitant warmth of her fingers closed around his ball. The odds were too grim for her to make the decision to send him to his death, he knew.

Seviper could hear and sense the ravenous bloodthirsty creatures everywhere. Their cries were eager, intimidating and malacious, for they had found prey. Prey that was not theirs to take. Cold calculation began to slide through his mind as he derived what method of attack would be best to scatter the group. Once his mind was made up the serpent seethed angrily and threw himself against the side of his luxurious prison, seeking release. The beasts would not take his trainer, not while he was alive, not while he was still able to fight. Not if his venomous fangs had any say in the matter.

Jasmine felt the pokeball shudder under the internal weight thrown against it and let out a steadying breath before making her decision. She looked down and closed her eyes to say a quick prayer to a God she rarely had contact with before loosing the pokemon.

With an infuriated hiss that would pale even a ghost, the serpent burst from his pokeball, his fangs dripping noxious toxins and tail whiplashing wildly behind him as he communicated his utter fury. Seviper reared up in a show of further intimidation, his eyes glowing a malovent crimson in the full rays of the rising moon. The show elicited a few startled yelps from a few members of the pack as the majority of them turned tail and ran. Only three adversaries remained, the pups would prove to be easy kills afterall. The leader's hackles rose an inch further as it's once menacing growl deepened to an almost constant roar.

Seviper hissed angrily, his fangs itched to inject their venom. He wanted nothing more than to pump these insolent mongrels full of lethal toxins and watch them writhe as the substance flitted through their viens, corroding the precious life-fluids, corrupting the entire arterary tract. It was a horrendous experience, one that Seviper had not witnessed since before he had met his human. In the blink of an eye Seviper struck, his fangs finding purchase beneith the neck of the leader and injecting him with the infection his smiling blood-stained sabers offered.

Instantly the pup went down, crimson leaking from the puncture wounds within his jugular. Infuriated the remaining pair leapt upon the serpent as a unit, tearing into him with their smaller, yet equally leathal fangs. The sounds were terrifying, and yet Jasmine could not bring herself to look away, the blood flowed, staining the atmosphere with a sickly coppery smell whiel the venom added an almost medicinal quality to the taste of the air.

Her eyes were wide with horror as she watched the scene play out, one of the dogs had been disembowled and Seviper was tangled in the still-living and fighting creatures entrails as he had another beast caught by the hind legs his coils as the beast bit unmercifully into the serpents vulnerabe underbelly.

Time seemed to stop for a moment and she seemed to be unable to see anything but the blood. The battle had gone silent to her as she retreated inside herself from the shock of such a scene.

A small whine, horrifyingly pathetic when compared to the ferocious snarls and yelps eminating from the battlefield, brought the youth back to reality. She moved her stricken eyes from the terrible battlefield only to look upon a lesser horror.

Sympathy and guilt siezed the young woman's heart as she gazed at the dying creature, he had been one of the most majestic beasts she had ever come into contact with. His fur still shimmered beautifully, seeming to glow with its own bloodied darkness, the ivory bones imbedded into his back were luminecent, even when stained with the scarlet of their owner's life-fluid.

She could not let this creature die. But how in the seven Hells could she rescue this creature from such a horrible demise?

If he were within a pokeball the venom would not act so quickly. The blood would not flow so freely. There was only one choice for her, if she wanted to preserve this creature's life. Blocking out the sounds of Seviper's valiant battle, the youth withdrew an empty pokeball and tensed as she expanded it with a press of a button.

"I won't let you die." She promised the dog, her eyes were hard in the cascading light of the full moon. The yellow eyes of the wild beast glistened with unfocused agony, she could only pray that the Pokemon center was not too much further ahead. With a soft grunt the youth tossed the pokeball which encompassed and captured the beast immediatley. Swiftly she scooped up the ball and turned back toward the battle, holding the slightly pulsating ball close to her chest as she watched Seviper deilver the final blow to the last of the pair of assailants.

The two Houndour now slept silently in their own pools of blood, never to rouse again. Her heart constricted, she could not save those two.

_It was us or them_. _We cannot afford sympathy for the enemy. _The serpent hissed over his shoulder. Steamy gore dripped from his fangs and body butu even through the coppery blood scent he smelt the guilt and pity begin to eminate from his human. Jasmine nodded dumbly before placing her hand upon one of the many wounds of her friend, the wounds could become infected given time, but they were not immidiatley fatal.

"I'm sorry." She berated herself silently for being so irresponsible."We have to get to the next town." Her voice was tired, her eyes were tired, hell she was tired. But if she were to rest this night...the consequences would not be worth the few hours of rest. Houndour definatey would not last until morning. She knew how the venom hidden within Seviper worked, had read of its agonizing erosion of the nerve endings. It would attack the heart last, drawing out the agony of its victim.

Time was of the essence. Without further word of any type the young woman recalled the snake and broke out into a run straight down the beaten path.

The howls were still far away, but the distance did nothing to lesson the young woman's fear, because she could not get the scene of Sevipers battle out of her mind and that last howl was closer than any of the others. The pack was already tracking her, easily done given the fact that she was covered head to toe in blood and venom. She could not let the stitch in her side slow her down. She could not let the burning in her lungs bring her to her knees. She could not stop. Because if she did, they would all perish.

The air was cooling further, she was vaguely aware that her skin had gooseflesh despite her hot flushed feeling. Her breath came out in great bursts of steam as she continued to run down the path, her shoes loud against the hard packed ground. She was so tired and her heart was a constant ache as it hammered in her chest...if only she could rest, only for a moment. Jasmine shook herself from such thoughts, she knew that if she were to lie here, she would end up sleeping in a bed of her own blood, much like those two hapless Houndour.

And so the young woman pressed onward, plauged by worry, doubt, fear, and the glowing yellow eyes she imagined tracked her from their hidden dens amid the bramble. Even the trees seemed against her, their leaves hissing jibes and snickering at her as she ran.

After an indeterminable amount of time the lights of the next town jumped into view. She prayed to gods she did not know that there was a Center here. Jasmine was only barely aware of her erratic breathing and pounding heart as she finally flung the door open to find a surreal world of light, saftey and warmth. She rushed into the building, presperation beading her brow despite the clammy cold coating her skin from the outside air. The pink haired nurse shot her a startled look.

"Seviper bite...to the jugular." Panted the youth as way of explanation, shoving her serpent and newfound hound's balls toward the nurse. Jasmine was unsure as to how much longer she could stay upright, it took so much effort to keep her legs standing, her eyes open.

Luckily this nurse was a sharp one and she took the Pokeballs without further question, handing them off to a nearby Blissey, who waddled as fast as it could with them. Releived of her burden at last Jasmine stumbled to an extended bench and hurriedly collapsed, instantly falling into an exhausted slumber despite the stink and gore that coated her and her clothes.

_**Morning**_

Someone was prauding her with the toe of their boot. But damn she was so tired, they could not possibly expect her to acknowledge them. According to the sharp toe of the boot in her side, they did. Did they not know how utterly exhausted she was?

"What?" Her voice was cracked, groggy, and unused when she finally replied to the incessent pokes. How long had she been asleep? Were those birds she heard chirping? Was it lighter in here than it had been when she had slept? How late had she arrived here? Her chest ached.

"Nothing. You were snoring." A male voice stated with nonchalance. Jasmine knew immediatley that she did not like him. Then again, that could be her ire at being disturbed talking. Her eyes were still so heavy, her muscles were so tense, her legs throbbed with each pulse of life that ripped throughout her being. The young trainer attempted to move and hissed in pain.

What had she been doing last night? With a start she remembered the events, and shot upright, startling the stranger whom had been moving back to his seat, just across from her.

Ignoring the throbbing pain, Jasmine rose to her feet, limping to the front counter and gazing down at the Blissey who blinked perkily back.

"Blis?" The pokemon's eyes were all-together too happy for it being so early in the day, but nothing legal could be done about that.

"Last night a Seviper with severe bites and a Houndour with a pierced throat and serious poisoning came in. Can you get someone to update me on their condition?" Jasmine's voice was still cracked from her recent awakening, she was glad. That way nobody could see the worry and pain behind it.

Or at least, she did not suspect anyone could...

But then again she was not looking to the other side of the room, where the gentleman whom had poked her awake quirked a disbeleiving eyebrow as he peiced together "severe bites" to "Periced throat and poisoning" and wondered at the idiocy of a trainer who allowed their pokemon to get into such a fight.

Some people just were not meant to raise pokemon. He tisked in his mind.

Once updated that the Houndour had gone into surgery for bleeding and was soon to be administered an anti-venom she was politley directed in the direction of the bathing rooms and blushed as she realized how badly she smelled. With a mumbled 'thank you' she collected her bag and headed to take a shower as she tried to wrap her mind around whether her pokemon would be alright.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: They Meet.**_

Light.

Dark.

Light.

Dark.

Houndour's eyes dilated with each passover of the false sunlight above him, his pupils widening and narrowing as the nurse-like creatures rushed him into the operating room. The fire in his veins had not dulled, but simply moved to the background of his nervous system. The venom was excruciating, but all the beast could do was thank the entities that his mind had remained intact so-far throughout this terrifying ordeal. The pup snarled reflexively as one of the Blissey's hands checked his bodice for further injuries. The nurse-like creature, used to such behavior from still-wild pokemon, did not flinch away, which on top of the pain that the sound had caused to explode in his throat infuriated the incapacitated leader.

.He was vaguely aware of a commotion with the nurses and wondered why the cart was shaking so badly. He heard something about 'convultions' and bit back another painful snarl, he would not be convulsing so badly if they'd stop shaking the damn cart! Something was shoved into his mouth which prevented his tongue from moving, he clenched it in his teeth by reflex and closed his eyes against the pain and confusion of the outside world.

What was he doing in this human-infested filth anyhow? The last thing he could recall were those terrifying eyes glaring like bloodied diamonds through the moonlight. And then there was the pain in his neck, the only reasonable explanation was that those eyes belonged to that human's partner. At this the creature lifted his lip in distaste, that human had captured him. But why? If she had ordered that treacherous serpent to attack him and kill his pack mates, why would she waste her time saving him?

Houndour's ear twitched, he did not recall hearing her order the worm to do anything. It had simply rushed to its partner's defense. So then it was the Traitor he was to blame, not the Trainer.

It felt strange. Technically he was a Traitor now as well. The thought alone was enough to make him shudder in disgust. But that was nothing compared to the fact that his own prey had captured him. It was shameful and humiliating to say the least. But he could not rightfully ignore the fact that the human wench had at least attempted to save his life by taking him here, captured or not. Judging by the anger he had sensed radiating off his serpentine attacker once it had burst from the pokeball, and the lack of Houndour scent, the canine could rightfully deduce that it had been much too late for the bitch to save his pack-mates. Having had no expectations from the human he could not bring himself to be dissapointed, for those pack mates would not have attempted to lick his wounds, he knew. They would fight amongst one another until a new leader came out victorious, and the victor would take his life, they would then lead the pack their own way, creating chaos until a new order was established. Something warm spread throughout the beast's chest, he allotted it to the poison flowing freely within his system and shivered at the thought that it would shortly claim his heart.

Nonetheless, right then and there, Houndour pledged his life and loyalty to the human creature if he survived. She, at least, was not like his bloodthirsty pack, constantly searching for their new meal, constantly watching him for any sign of weakness. For this bitch, he would become a Traitor, but his loyalties would lie only with the female. He did not have to like her, merely obey and protect her. He owed her a debt, his life, and even if it killed him, it would be repaid.

With that thought, the hound dipped into a pool of euphoric unawareness.

_**Elsewhere!**_

Seviper hissed and thrashed against the bonds. How dare these pathetic creatures touch him! How dare these bloated females restrain him! The infuriated serpent spit venom and saliva at a nearby Chansey who just barely dodged the spray of toxins. He seethed and writhed against the confining ropes as the three Chansey exchanged nervous looks.

"I'm not doing it. You do it." Stated the nurse in the middle, handing the jar off to the one on the left, who trembled as she accepted it.

"I-I just remembered! Blissey needed help with her hair!" Stuttered that one before all-but throwing the jar at the remaining Chansey, who fumbled it and only barely managed to catch it before it shattered against the floor. Aghast she stared in the direction of the still swiveling door her two 'comrades' had just used to abandoned her with a very dangerous, deadly and utterly pissed off Seviper.

"I...Guess I'll have to do it." Trembled the nurse as she stepped cautiously toward the contemptuous serpent. It was not as if she had never 'milked' a venomous serpent before, just never when it was this pissed off...

"Keep that contraption away from me, filth." Fizzed Seviper, the sickle at his tail emitting its own poison in his rage. The pink creature before him tensed visibly but did not slow its pace. They needed this venom to save a Houndour's life and if she took her time getting it it could kill him! With one stubby arm it grasped the jar determinedly, and placed the other at the crown of the snakes head. A jolt ran through his body as the nurse used its Pound to force his fangs into the canvas lid of the jar and he blanched as the venom automatically injected itself uselessly into the container as twin rivers of sludge.

The serpent twisted savagely and disengaged his fangs from the jar's lid, glaring daggers at the Chansey who refused to meet his gaze, and therefore went unaffected by the hellion's attack.

These pitiful creatures would pay dearly for treating him in such a manner he promised himself silently as he watched the Chansey scurry from the room.

Once he had calmed down an apologetic Blissey came into the room and let him out of the restraints. He hissed disdainfully at her apologies as she showed him to the recovery room where his wounds would finally be seen to. He glared around and picked out the three Chansey from earlier shamefacedly looking away from him as he was being treated.

He would most definately have revenge.

Once he was healed of his injuries he was re-introduced to his pokeball and put on the 'waiting for pickup' shelf where he was to remain until Jasmine came for him.

_**That night**_

Seviper slithered silently through the halls, his tongue flickered steadily as he followed the scent trail of his prey, having long ago released himself from his pokéball. He was here to repay debts owed. Those impudent creatures had dared to touch him, even tied him (he shuddered at this thought with rage and disgust), and they would pay, oh how dearly they would pay... The beast's crimson eyes lit up when his tongue scented what he had been looking for. The Chansey's sleeping quarters.

A part of the beast begged him to stop now, begged for reason. He was no longer a creature of the wild, he no longer needed to be ruthless and vengeful to those around him.

But the other side, recently re-awoken from the blood spilling, screamed for compliance. He no longer needed to be ruthless, true, and he would not be ruthless, to those he held in high esteem. But these bastards, they had humiliated him, they had reaped the precious venom from his fangs without his permission, as good as rape in his eyes. They had forced him to submit to their primitive and, he would admit, painful methods of extraction.

Jasmine would not approve. His mind said suddenly, desperate to put a sop its owner's blind rage. The serpent halted himself just as he was about to slide into the darkened room, his crimson eyes taking in several slumbering egg-like forms. His scales twitched slightly at the guilt such a thought elicited.

Perhaps not. But Jasmine is not here. The darker more primeval side pointed out. Seviper moved forward again, slowly, before halting once more. There was a heaviness in his heart, he did not know why the little human mattered to him so much, only that the very thought of disobeying her wishes would leave him feeling like a shamed hatchling. Slowly, angrily, the serpent withdrew himself from the presence of the tempting door.

He would make them all pay...someday.

_**Morning**_

At long last a Chansey brought two glimmering pokéballs out to the girl, Jasmine, who had been awaiting her partners return for nigh twenty four hours. Thanks to modern technology the Houndour was going to be fine. Nurse Joy explained briefly and firmly that the hound could not battle until the scabs on his throat were completely healed over; she also explained that they must be bandaged and cleaned at least thrice a day and he could not go without food or water for longer than absolutely necessary.

The Seviper, however, was completely healed. The young woman thanked the nurse quietly as she cradled the two balls close to her chest. Absently the girl attached them to her holster as her entire figure radiated exhaustion. She was so close to her destination, Pallet town, all she needed to do was pass through the viridian forest and Viridian City... but it would not do to show up only to collapse from exhaustion. She did not know what trials would await her to become a true pokemon trainer and would have to rest if she wanted to be in top condition for them.

Some time late in the evening, or early in the morning, Jasmine awoke to find she had rolled off the bench she was using as her bed for the night. More importantly, she found she had to go the bathroom. Badly. Without wasting time to scold herself for her clumsiness in falling out of bed Jasmine sprang to her feet and made a dash down the hall for the restroom.

A similar event had happened several minutes before to a young man of similar age, when his torkoal took his nightshirt in his mouth and dragged the unfortunate teen out of bed. After muttering a number of profanities, the youth spoke with the torkoal and informed him that he had better have a very good reason for getting him up this late at night.

"Kooall" The pokémon replied calmly, explaining that he had to use the lavatory and would like for his trainer to accompany him given the unfamiliar setting they were in. The youth rolled his eyes, annoyed at being awoken at such an hour, but nodded and led the way toward the washroom nonetheless.

None of this would have been of consequence under most circumstances, the two parties would have missed each other entirely and never met if it were not for the astoundingly slow pace at which Torkoal walked. Jasmine, however, in a rush to make it before her bladder gave way flew across the tiles giving no heed to her surroundings and so soon stumbled over the torkoal.

"Whoa, crap!" Exclaimed the young woman as she tripped over the infernal creature. The lava-like cracks in its obsidian shell pulsed in the dull light as his squinted eyes swirled, twinkling in amusement at her expense. "Damned turtle!" She muttered into the tile floor. Jasmine would never admit it, but she had near wet herself as she fell.

The young man, who had, prompted by the insufferably slow pace set by the pokémon, fallen into a sleepwalk snapped awake. Not at the crash of the girl falling, followed by slightly muffled curses, but at the sharp pain which coursed throughout his foot as the girl stepped on it.

"Ow! What the hell? You stepped on me! Why don't you watch where your going with those giant feet of yours." Snarled the, now fully awake and very grumpy, young man. His dark eyes seemed to smolder with barely suppressed embers of rage, his face thrown into sharp contrast by the light emanating from the back of his torkoal. Jasmine had enough sense to peel herself from the tile and glare at him unflinchingly.

"Why don't you keep your torkoal out of the goddamned hallway, that way my big feet have more room to run!" Growled the girl in return, her own gaze reflecting the crimson light as her face, too, was thrown into a valley of shadow and flame.

"Koaaaal, koal koal," the pokémon politely said he didn't mean to be in the way and would not like to see any fighting, reminding his owner that he still had to relieve himself.

"I might have kept him inside if I had thought some idiot would trip over him, but I never imagined anyone would be blind enough to not see a pokémon that _glows in the dark_." The scathing retort struck Jasmine heavily and she flew to her feet in a rage, her features contorting in the lighting of the fire-tortoise's shell, resembling some sort of vengeful wraith as she stared angrily at the young man before her.

It quickly became clear that the young man was too absorbed with fighting to hear Torkoal's request, however. And, rolling his eyes, the torkoal continued on to the restroom; he knew this fight would last a long while: especially with this girl. She seemed as if she were as obstinate and hardheaded as his master.

_The idiots_. Torkoal thought with a chuckle.

She wanted to strangle this good for nothing smart ass with her bare hands, or better yet, Seviper could make a meal out of that overgrown turtle. But she would be the bigger man (uh woman) and walk away before she pissed herself. Slowly Jasmine took a breath, and turned on her heel and stormed off barely suppressing her rage, and the end of her digestive system. She was fortunate enough to find a secluded area in the woods where her errand would go unnoticed. Once relieved, Jasmine returned to her bed cursing and vowing that should she ever see the boy again she would gouge his eyes out with a dulled spoon.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: They Search**_

Sunlight poured through the branches above, dappling the green grass-covered earth with lights and shadows and illuminating the dust motes floating peacefully through the air a rich gold. Metapod could be seen hanging in some branches overhead, birds could be heard chirping and flitting about and a faint buzzing could be heard in the distance. It was common knowledge that bug Pokemon wandered the Viridian forest in hordes and so it should have made sense that Pidgey and Spearrow would be here hunting them. Birds ate bugs, after all and everybody knew that.

It was not, however, obvious to Jasmine as she shooed yet another Spearrow away from her. The birds might be aggressive, but she could be equally so and they were not getting her last peanut butter sandwich, several days old or not it was all she had left until she reached town to spend the last of her money on more traveling food.

Jasmine squeaked as the bird dived and cut her arm with it's sharp beak and her anger spiked again. She grabbed her moderatley heavy backpack. Blood trickled steadily from the wound and she grit her teeth.

"Get lost!" She snarled as she smacked at the bird, "Or I'll feed you to Seviper!" Of course the bird paid no heed to her threat, it did, however, heed the fact that she smacked it across the face with her pack. It crowed and retreated to a branch where it let out a series of caws, calling forth more of its brethren.

"Bring it on!" Jasmine snarled as she seized a fistful of rocks and took up a fighting stance. Normally the girl would not be in such a foul mood, but these Pokemon had been harassing her since she got the sandwich out nearly half an hour ago. The bread was getting stale, and Jasmine was exasperated.

The birds seemed to confer amidst themselves before one of them took the offensive and she tossed one fistful of rocks at it knocking it out of the air. The other creature's feathers ruffled in rage at this display and they, too, flew at her. Growling in her annoyance she ducked behind a tree as the half-dozen birds barely missed where she was standing, their sharp beaks and claws finding nothing where they had been expecting flesh.

The flock flew off to circle around and head back towards their opponent. The young trainer withdrew Seviper's ornate Pokeball and tapped the button to expand it. All the while she glared at the birds circling around trying to locate her and calculated her and the serpents chances against them.

Houndour was still much too injured to battle and she was not going to nearly kill him no matter how slim she thought the chances of victory. The flock drew closer, hopping from branch to branch now searching for her. Jasmine reached her conclusion: Seviper and herself would be more than enough to drive the Spearrow off, birds hated snakes after all. The serpent emerged eagerly and snapped at one of the birds that had peaked around the trunk of their hiding-place, throwing it's coils around it. The others scattered as the snake immediately attempted to make a meal of it's prize. The Spearrow struggled and it's beak found a weak point where the reptile had just healed between two scales.

Blood spurted and the Seviper hissed in frustration as it released its hold and it's prey escaped, flitting to a branch clumsily, it's wing obviously injured. Jasmine took the opportunity to throw one of her Pokeballs at the thing while it was distracted. The bird was drawn into the Pokeball and it struggled a few times before the ball settled down and it was captured. She looked around, the forest was quiet now with all the ruckus they had caused the birds had taken wing and she retrieved her prize much to the serpents annoyance.

_Do you have to capture every hooligan we come across_? He grouched as she bent to scoop up the Pokeball and attached it next to Houndour. The young woman shrugged as she came up beside Seviper with one of the last potions. She sprayed it on his steadiliy bleeding wound and it sealed up the minor injury easily. She stood up and gestured to Seviper that they should get going before the gang came back to check on its comrade, or worse; the birds tried to get revenge.

Seviper's tongue tickled the now drying blood that had been drawn on her arm curiously but he made no comment, and if he was traveling just a little more closely to her side once he realized she had been injured, surely the girl would not notice.

Luckily the pair had plenty of daylight to burn this time, which meant no surprise Houndour attacks for them today. Unfortunately the pair might also have been lost. Jasmine withdrew a map of the trails in Viridian Forest she had gotten from the Pokemon center in Pewter city and blinked uselessly at the alien squiggles decorating the paper. It was actually quite a comic sight as she tried to deceifer the map with half of a stale sandwich hanging out of her mouth until finally the girl huffed and shrugged and figured that every trail had to lead somewhere, right? The young woman couldn't make heads or tails of the map, though Seviper had pointed out helpfully that it was upside down.

The snake slithered along in the long grass next to the female, nearly invisible, and his gaze zeroed in on one of the denizens of the forest, or so it seemed. A nice plump yellow Pikachu perched on a log looking a little worried, as if it, too, was lost. The hungry serpent struck at once, expertly wrapping its coils tightly around the mouse which discharged electricity as soon as it realized it was in danger.

Seviper closed it's eyes against it's erratically beating heart and tightened its coils feeling the pokemon's bones groan under the preassure, it would pass out soon.

"Pikachu! Hey! Let Pikachu go!" A husky voice snarled as a young man wearing a Pokemon League hat came out on the scene and scooped up a handful of rocks to throw at the Seviper. The girl's heart nearly lept out of her chest as she realized he was going to attack her partner.

"Mind your own business pipsqueak!" Jasmine snarled as she came to stand between the boy and act as Seviper's defense, "you should keep better tabs on your rodents!" She snapped as she sent Seviper a warning look and the serpent reluctantly released the nearly suffocated Pikachu who sparked angrily at the creature. "I know you're hungry, Vipes, but just hold out a little longer okay?"

Seviper heaved a long suffered sigh but made no attempt to defy her.

"Why don't you keep better tabs on your snake, its dangerous to let a thing like that roam free." A young orange-haired lady came to the boy's defense while cradling a Togepi against her chest. She was likely one of those girls who despised bugs and snakes, as Seviper obviously gave her the creeps. Jasmine ran her hands boldly over the snake and caressed his glistening poison fangs almost tenderly.

"Yeah, really dangerous." She bit back sarcastically before calling Seviper to continue, ignoring what was being yelled out behind her, though it sounded oddly like 'What a bitch!'. The serpent flicked his tongue as he resumed his invisible snoop, equally as uncaring of what the other group had to say. He just wanted another meal.

Several hours and a Rattata later there was finally a break in the trees up ahead and a sign depicting that Viridian city lay just ahead let Jasmine breath a sigh of relief. They had been on the right trail after all. Seviper had opted to ride in the Pokeball, preferring to curl up after a meal and digest for awhile.

A rustling of leaves behind her caused a chill to run down Jasmines spine and she hot-footed it towards the end of the forest trail, she had three out of commission partners with her and didn't like the odds of standing up against another large group of Pokemon on her own. With her bad luck the rustling would be the captured Spearow's Fearow counterparts come to take vengence...

She finally reached the town without incident and was surprised how long her shadow was as she shielded her eyes against the glare of the setting sun, blinking dully. Wandering hopelessly lost in a forest had taken more time than she had originally thought it would. The rustling behind her sparked her back into action and she made a B-line towards the Pokemon center, knowing that the Nurse Joy would allow her shelter there overnight, since she had injured Pokemon.

It was surprisingly quiet in the town's Center, though she supposed she should not be so surprised. It was rather out of season for new Trainers to be heading through Viridian from Pallet, where they would have gotten their Pokedex and first Pokemon from Professor Oak. The Chansey and Blissey greeted her perkily as Nurse Joy entered the room and rubbed her eyes, obviously exhausted.

Jasmine felt bad for her, really she did, but she had to get the Spearrow she just caught looked at, and have Houndour examined and so she smiled apologetically and Nurse Joy smiled lightly in return.

"I caught a Spearrow in the forest, well Seviper caught it actually, and i think injured it's wing in the process." The nurse nodded before a light bulb seemed to go off behind her eyes.

"You must be headed to Pallet Town to meet professor oak, since our Gym has been closed for some time now." Jasmine knew that the nurse was trying to make polite conversation but simply smiled politely as the Nurse took her partners to the back to refresh the healthy Seviper and treat the healing wounds of the other two.

She was filthy and exhausted and so she went to the bathing room to shower and put on her sleeping clothes and wash the outfit she had been wearing in the laundromat near the back. She came back up to the lobby to ask a Chansey about replacing one of the cots in the sleeping quarters where someone had o bviously wet him or herself some time ago.

She turned to speak to the pink swollen egg pokemon when a breeze from outside caught her by surprise. Someone was comming into the pokemon center. She blinked curiously wondering who on earth else would be heading back to Pallet town. Her eyes zero'd in on the pokemon pushing its way into the center and she blanched with horrified fury.

Whoever they were... they owned a Torkoal.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: A Truce?**_

The florescent bulbs above them seemed too bright as they illuminated both the young man and woman's facial features. The pale bleached light bringing out even the slightest imperfection in the skin and lips as well as casting odd shadows under their brow ridges. The atmosphere in the Pokemon Center was deathly still as the pair sized one another up, or rather as Jasmine sized the boy from the previous town up. He continued walking right past her, not even having recognized the young woman.

The suddenly very temperamental female felt her blood pressure skyrocket as her mind slowly processed who exactly was standing behind her, speaking in rather polite tones with the nurse. She clenched her eyes shut and turned to stomp away, ignoring the boy as she headed towards the back of the Center where the Trainers sleeping quarters were.

It was a little darker in this room and for that she was glad, it helped to suppress the wild rage knotting and un-knotting in her stomach as she rubbed at her temples tiredly and heaved a sigh before throwing herself down on the freshly laundered cot and pulling the quilt up to her chin to catch a few hours rest.

_**With the Pokemon**_

Spearrow watched with calculating eyes from where she was resting as the pink egg-like Chansey trotted to and fro. She blinked every now and again as snippets of Chansey-talk floated past her, mostly uninteresting things but one thing did catch her attention.

'That poor Houndour, did you see the Seviper bite? And didn't that Trainer say that her Seviper injured the Spearrow as well? Why, I've never heard of such behavior from a tamed Pokemon..." One Chansey murmured from it's place in the hall to another out-of-sight Nurse-Pokemon.

Spearrow blinked again and glanced at the bandages now decorating her left wing. She nosed the odd cloth with her beak, investigating the material before tilting her head to the side and looking at the black dog resting on the bed beside her. She tilted her head the other way before craning her short neck to see the Seviper that had attempted to eat her coiled at the furthest bed from them, a lump of some unfortunate soul in his middle.

Now, Spearrow had never been the bravest in her little bunch of friends and siblings, but the bird would be the first to admit that she was one of the most cunning. Her mind was nearly as sharp as her beak, if she did say so herself, and right now it was mulling over the possibilities of bringing that snake down for trying to eat her.

The bird's eyes drifted from the dangerous, though placid, form of the snake, and her eyes landed on the injured Houndour. The beast was a handsome specimen to be sure, and the Spearrow was willing to bet that he was proud and arrogant to go along with those good looks. She took in the white bandage around his neck it's pristine white color was undecorated by crimson, so the bird could only assume that while the dog's injuries were great they were no longer life-threatening.

The creature's ear swiveled towards her and he growled quietly as his eyes opened a tiny bit, the yellow of his eyes caused her feathers to fluff in fright before she smoothed them quickly.

"You got something to say, bird?" The beast practically snarled, causing her feathers to fluff out again before she forced them down for a second time.

"Oh no, I was only admiring." She crooned in return, pretending to be completely unaffected by his negative attitude, "it's not every day I'm treated to such visions of perfection." She batted her eyes at him shamelessly and the beast had the decency to blush and look away quickly, grumbling something about crazy females.

"Hello." A new voice interjected politely, "I apologise for interrupting" Torkoal smiled at the pair of them and both the Pokemon shrugged in answer. Two Chansey came up behind the Torkoal and hoisted him onto the next bed as they took his vitals and checked him over for injuries.

Spearrow looked the Torkoal over and quirked her head as something caught the corner of her eye. She let her gaze drift to the opposite corner of the room and felt her feathers completely ruffle as she jumped up, the action drew dissproving looks from the Chansey.

"Where did that nasty snake go!" She shrieked, looking around on the ground and up on the ceiling and cawing in panic. Two more Chansey entered the room and sedated the female with a quick injection. As they were doing so her eye caught a shadow slinking out the door and she visibly relaxed before collapsing into blissful sleep.

Jasmine stirred when she felt something cold wrap itself gently around her and settle its significant weight around her hips and legs. She opened one eye to see Seviper's red eyes glowing back at her in the dim light of the room. She jumped slightly before huffing out a breath of half-irritated air as the snake laughed silently at her with his eyes.

"You know you are going to give me a heart attack one of these days." She mumbled and he rubbed his face against her exposed flesh in way of playful apology.

"Done digesting already?" She asked as she felt his length up. "Not quite." She smiled as she felt the now significantly smaller lump in his middle, "but I guess it wont slow you down anymore will it." She murmured as she stroked the side of his head lovingly. The snakes eyes became half-lidded and he settled down next to her to continue sleeping away from the noisy gossip and flirty banter of his new 'partners.'

Seviper did not like that he would be sharing his human one bit. Especially when the ones he'd be sharing her with had tried to harm her. _Although... now that I think about it, hadn't I been planning on eating her as a child? Meh, it's not important anyway._

Jasmine placed an absent kiss on the end of his nose as she let her own eyes droop down slowly.

"Another nap? Haven't you snored enough for one day?" The young man from earlier growled from where he had lain down on the other side of the room. Jasmine's eyes shot open and she tensed and Seviper lifted his head sending an ineffective glare at the boy's back. Slowly, methodically, Seviper began to uncoil himself from Jasmine and slide down the leg of the bed. He moved with astounding silence for a creature of his size. Mordred rolled onto his side and faced the wall, muttering something inaudible to Jasmine.

"I don't know, are you planning on trampling me again if I do?" Jasmine muttered, eying Seviper's movements curiously. She didn't read too much into the remark he made, she did not snore, he was just a jerk.

"Honestly? Honestly? You mean to start that argument again? You were unobservant and tripped. Get over it." The young man didn't bother to roll over or he may have seen the black shadow slinking towards his semi-opened pack on the floor.

"I was unobservant? You were practically asleep on your feet." She shot back as Seviper pushed his nose curiously into the teenager's things. The soft noise of Seviper's wanderings alerted him to the intrusion and he yelled in surprise.

"Get your reptile out of my things!" He shouted as he reached for the Sevipers tail before thinking better of it and gesturing to Jasmine who had already gotten up and reached down to fearlessly yank the viper back by the part just above his venomous tail.

"Vipes behave yourself." She huffed though she was secretly amused at his own brand of vengence. Seviper did not need to be told twice, and removed his head from the bag immediately: a model of obedience. Save for the small bit of red metal poking out his mouth.

"Vipes," Jasmine said warningly. She did not need this boy stalking her asking her for a new pokedex, as she lunged forward to get it from the snake who quickly tossed his head back and swallowed the pokedex whole. He hissed in delight at the look on the boy's face.

"You'll be replacing that!" Mordred shouted at Jasmine, leaping off his bed after the snake, and landing - or rather crashing - on the floor. She did not like his tone of voice in the least and so her stubburn streak rose to the surface.

"Fuck off! You should have closed your damn bag!" Jasmine shouted, it was her turn to go red in the face and she simultaneously stepped to block his path to Seviper and stand over him threateningly.

"It was your dumb snake who ate it! Either you're replacing it or you're getting my old one back!" He shot back not rising from where he lay.

"If you want it back so badly why don't you wait around until it passes through!" The young woman crossed her arms over her chest. She supressed a vindicitve smirk at the image of him sifting through Seviper feces.

Something awful glinted in the young man's eye. "Fine. I will. I suppose this means we'll be seeing a good deal more of each other. I'm sure you don't mind, you offered, after all." The two were so engrossed in their argument that they both failed to notice that the serpent had ninja'd himself back into the young man's bag.

"What! As a matter of fact I do mind! I mind a lot!" Her arms were now straight down and perfectly stiff with fury. She would be utterly delighted if she never saw this guy ever, ever again.

"Well then, I guess you'd better replace my Pokedex. It's that or I'm traveling with you." The way he accented "you'd better" left no ambiguity. He did not intend to be a pleasant traveling companion.

"Why don't you go _get _a Pokedex. C'mon Vipes we're leaving!" She snarled as she started towards the front of the pokemon Center to pick up Spearrow and Houndour. She had been hoping that they could stay here for the night but apparently that was too much to ask for.

There was a commotion and the boy's things were sprawled everywhere as Seviper flung his bag off of it's head. She heard an angry shout from the male trainer as he realized that the Pokemon had snuck his way back into his bag while the two of them were distracted.

"Don't you know how to train your Pokemon to listen to you?" Mordred snarled as he shoved a couple of his things unceremoniously back into the bag. Jasmine and Seviper both turned on him with bodily injury written in their eyes. Seviper because nobody _trained_ him and Jasmine because of the insult to her ability to handle Pokemon.

"Why don't you just drop dead assface!" She said eloquently before turning on her heel and walking away once again. "And don't you dare follow us!" She shot over her shoulder for good measure.

Mordred did not stop to collect the rest of his belongings, save a potion and his pokeballs. If he was going to keep up with this spoiled brat, he would have to leave now.

He waited —impatiently — for her to collect her pokemon from the Chansey at the front desk, and did the same himself as soon as Jasmine had left the Center. The Chansey wished him a good day, or at least that's what he thought she said, and he was followed fifty yards behind her. He did not suspect his company would be welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: they ...uh...eat?**_

Not far down the road he could see the silhouette of a girl walking toward Palette Town. She seemed to be huddled in on herself and he noticed with a roll of his eyes that she was not wearing a jacket. Indeed, it seemed as if she were wearing...pajamas.

It was cold.

No, scratch that.

It was so cold she thought her nipples would fall off.

Yeah, that sounded a little more accurate. The young trainer trudged through the night on legs sore from her previous day's travels but at least her clothes were clean and dry. Still, being out so late when it was so cold was not her idea of fun. She turned towards Seviper and noticed that he looked to be in severe discomfort. His movements were sluggish and he was drooping slightly as if he did not have enough energy to keep going. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair before returning the snake and chastising him for his stubbornness. She settled the pokeball in her bra next to her skin, flinching at the iciness of the pokeball against her warm chest.

She could sense that annoying guy following behind her and huffed to herself, too distracted to realize that she was now completely out of able-bodied pokemon. There was a ruffling in the bushes and she froze for half a second before a brown blur hit her in the back and knocked her on her face. She spit out her mouthful of dirt and rolled over only to have the attacking spearrow land on her chest and peck at her injured arm. She clenched her teeth at the painful sting of skin being penetrated and kneed it hard in the head.

The bird squawked in angry surprise and abandoned its post for a moment, she rolled onto her front and hissed in pain, blood made small rivulets down her arm and she bared her teeth savagely from the sensations.

"Fucking birds." She growled as she favored her injured arm. She felt something warm and sticky on her eyes and realized that on top of the bird-inflicted wounds she also had cut her forehead when she fell. Jasmine heard heavy footsteps come up behind her.

"Are you okay?" He puffed, out of breath. Their trivial argument put aside now that there was something more threatening looming on the horizon. Jasmine stepped away from him, squinting through the darkness as she saw two other spearrow hopping side to side uncertainly on branches in the distance.

"Those Spearrow must've followed us from the forest. It's too cold for Seviper to battle... Spearrow's got a broken wing and Houndour... there's no way I'm risking his life, his throat might tear open again." She was rambling out loud, but she could hear that the spearrow had taken wing again and now dove at the pair of them. There was a bright flash of flame that intercepted the spearrow and Torkoal's glowing body could be seen approaching them at a very slow pace.

Jasmine's eyes were alight with realization."If Seviper stuck close to Torkoal's hot body, then he could stick those birds to the dirt with his sludge bomb. It would be like shooting Magikarp in a barrel."

The boy paused for a moment, assessing the situation before he nodded his consent to the double battle and she reached into her bra for his beautifully ornate pokeball sending him out on top of the Torkoal.

The serpent wrapped his deadly coils harmlessly around the hot shell of the tortoise and with a soft noise of pleasure allowed venom to drip from his fangs before spitting it at the next bird to approach, gluing it to the ground. Once the leader had been taken out the other two retreated as well and Seviper gave a hiss of satisfaction from where he was coiled.

"Thank you, for your help. Both of you." Jasmine spoke quietly as she smiled at the young man and his Torkoal, all former feelings of animosity gone after their shared victory.

"My name is Mordred." He held out his hand in an official introduction; this was the first time they'd exchanged friendly words, and now that she thought back to it he was right, she didn't know his name.

"Nice to meet you Mordred, I'm Jasmine, and this is Vipes." She gestured to herself and then Seviper as she made the introductions also wiping the blood out of her eyes as she did so.

"Let's get going, Seviper can ride on Torkoal's back in case those birds come back, but we will have to walk slowly." Mordred suggested as he looked around uncertainly, he was sure that the slow pace would not sit well with the girl and he was right but even though she did get a little red in the face she set her jaw and held her sharp retort.

"What if we just set up camp?" She had come a considerable distance from the Pokemon center and wasn't keen on backtracking just to stay the night, nor did she feel like walking in slow-motion for the remainder of the night. Her sleeping bag was pretty comfy after all.

After an assent from Mordred Jasmine went around making up camp.

Soon the fire crackled in the center of their chosen camp, Jasmine's sleeping bag was only a stones throw away and she was toasty warm. Seviper made a half moon around the outskirts of the fire while Torkoal stared at the jumping flames. The two reptillian creatures seemed to get along alright, which shouldn't have struck Jasmine as strange, but Seviper hadn't gotten along with any of the other Pokemon she had encountered.

"Your Torkoal seems very tolerant of Vipes." She said nonchalantly, Mordred merely shrugged from where he sat, poking at the fire with a stick as it's light danced eerily over his features. Seviper cracked an eye open and regaurded the tortoise before closing it again.

"He's a very patient pokemon." Was his noncommittal reply. Seviper lifted his head from where he lay, his own obsidian hide half-lit from the flames of the fire, and observed Mordred with a critical eye before seeming to shrug whatever was bothering him off and laying down once more.

"I suppose he must be." Jasmine replied as she lifted her own head to watch the glowing Torkoal watch the fire. He was a lovely creature with the firey pulsating cracks of lava decorating his shell. She bit her tongue as guilt began to plauge her and finally huffed a sigh and swallowed her pride "Look, I'm sorry about Seviper swallowing your Pokedex."

Mordred shrugged once again and the camp grew quiet between them, the only sound was the crackling of the flames. Knowing that the conversation was over she slid deeper into her sleeping bag and closed her eyes.

Jasmine woke when a cool scaly body slithered into the sleeping bag next to her. The young woman blinked in confusion as she took in her surroundings, noticing right away that it was the semi-darkness of pre-dawn and the air outside the sleeping bag was chilled. Seviper coiled around her in the sleeping bag as Jasmine glanced at the fire, finding that only a few tendrils of smoke and charred wood remains marked where the pit was.

Mordred was across from her on the other side of the dead fire pit nestled in a sleeping bag of his own with Torkoal a few feet away, also fast asleep. She sat up, and - cursing the dawn's cool breeze - set out to stretch her legs and, if a suitable bush presented itself, use the restroom. Seviper, evidently reluctant to give up a perfectly good heater, did not let go. Her efforts to coax the snake off of her were of no avail, and, more than a little encumbered, she trudged slowly and awkwardly over the leaves, his tail dragging behind her.

God but this snake was heavy! She nearly buckled under his weight several times.

Behind her something - a stick or tree bark - snapped. More pokémon? Jasmine whirled about, tripped over Seviper, and found herself upon the ground. In the growing morning light she could see, beneath Seviper's tail, a broken tree branch. "Way to go, Vipes." Seviper let out a staggered hissing sound which, after years of practice, she had come to recognize as him chuckling. She dusted the parts of her as yet unclaimed by Seviper off and began to walk again. Another twig snapped, and she glared at Seviper, whose tail was well off the ground.

Something in the brush moved.

Seviper sprang at the source of the rustling noise, coils releasing from Jasmine and falling out along the ground, already tensing to strike. The young woman was overbalanced and fell gracefully to her ass, she watched as his tail twitched and venom, black and viscous, began to accumulate on his fangs. Jasmine followed as soon as she could stand up again, running the short distance until she stood behind her serpent. The bush continued to shake, and for a few moments at a time patches of a sunny yellow showed through. At last the creature hopped out.

It is small and familiar.

"Pi-ka?"

Without thinking she fumbled for an empty pokéball. It fell into her hand and just as soon soared through the air, colliding with the Seviper distracted pikachu.

Nothing happened. The ball bounced off and gave a sharp buzzing noise as Pikachu glared at Jasmine for throwing the ball at it and its cheeks sparked angrily.

"Are you already someone's partner?" She asks, listening for trainers. At the border of sound she can hear voices - children - arguing. She turns her attention from Seviper and Pikachu for an instant while she tries to discern what is being argued about.

"Well, at least when you're a Pokémon Master you'll have money enough to pay me back for my bik-"

"PIKA!" The scream drowns them out, turning her attention back to the mouse, she sees the last of a lightning bolt tail disappear down Seviper's throat. There was a shocked gasp and a faint cry of 'Pika-Piiii' before the same young trainers who were with the pikachu from before were upon them, fury evident in both their eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

When Jasmine realized what had happened time seemed to simultaneously slow and speed. It was slow because she had concentrated on the strange movements the still-living prey item was inflicting upon the visible flesh of its predator, the movements themselves didn't seem to bother Seviper, though Jasmine was sure she was slowly becoming motion sick watching the struggling and slowly suffocating pikachu making its way towards the serpent's gullet. Really what had her captivated was the way the shimmering scales seemed to ripple like the waves of a pond where the pikachu landed a particularly ferocious kick or punch. She was sure that the wild vibrations she saw throughout the struggles was a current of electricity being sent through her partner.

Ridiculously she wondered how long it would take for the other trainer to get to the police when the pikachu finally succumbed, and if she would have enough time to make a break for it with Seviper.

Then the adrenaline hit and everything sped up and blurred together.

"No! Vipes what the hell are you doing?!" Jasmine screeched as she watched the quivering lump that was Pikachu slowly slide closer to the lethal trap that awaited every morsel the snake swallowed, poisoned or not, "You can't eat other peoples Pokemon!" Without really thinking she wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed, sweat had begun to bead on her forehead despite the cold and clammy morning as she pushed and squeezed until the weakening pokemon popped tail first out of the serpents mouth and landed with a wet splat on the grass below. The pikachu was dazed and blinked confusedly at everything with glazed unfocused eyes, it was also mushed slightly flat and covered in sticky drool, but mostly the pikachu was unharmed. Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief, sure that the pikachu would make a full recovery with no lasting effects.

Seviper, on the other hand, writhed and huffed behind her, glaring at his partners back and openly resenting her rough handling of him. He quickly got over it seeing the pure panic in his trainers shoulders, and realizing she hadn't meant the offense on his person.

Jasmine's attention, however, was not focused on Seivper, but on the boy who wore the pokemon league hat. He was quivering with rage or shock or maybe both as he knelt beside his Pikachu. Jasmine felt more than a little bad for him and his pokemon, really she did. But the viper was just doing what came naturally to him, and she could not bring herself to fault him for his instinctual behavior. She opened her mouth to apologize on behalf of the serpent for the atrocity he had nearly committed, only she never got the chance to do so.

"You again?" The red haired girl's shout de-railed Jasmine's train of thought and she turned to look at the youngster, still clutching that togepi to her chest, "you just can't control that disgusting snake can you?" She snarled as she shifted the egg-pokemon's weight to her hip and grabbed for a pokeball from her backpack, "Maybe I should teach you a lesson, or get rid of that pest!" Jasmine's admittedly very short temper predictably flared and she whirled to face the younger girl sending her a glare to rival Seviper's.

"Teach me a lesson? For what? Why don't you shut your mouth and let me teach you something, Seviper is a fucking snake and that pikachu is a fucking mouse. In a forest of this size a mouse is going to have predators, if not my snake then maybe a noctowl or a persian, Vipes was just following his instincts, trainers should keep closer eyes on their Pokemon!" Jasmine stood her ground, towering above the younger girl and trying to intimidate her, "i saved the little beast, you should be thankful that Seviper did not poison the thing." She spit in their direction and though the two steamed they made no move to go after her, attempt to punish her or vipes or even speak to her. The threat was over and they could easily go their separate ways.

Seviper, though he felt a bit guilty for having almost paralyzed her with an angry glare, made no move of his own to apologize for his actions. Indeed he had just been following his instincts and while he could control them when he chose he didn't care to when a creature was so unobservant and easily distracted as that Pikachu had been. Perhaps these lessons would allow it to avoid his coils, should they meet a third time.

As the serpent resumed his normal place at her side the teen seemed to come awake and realize his presence. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, 'what if' scenario's running through her head. What if Seviper had killed that boy's Pikachu? What kind of legal consequences would have come barreling their way then? Would they have been on the run? Fugitives? Forced to join the Pokemon Mafia just to survive on the other side of the law?

"Seviper, why don't you take a break." She growled in exasperation as she returned him to his pokeball. She just couldn't deal with this right now. Her legs were weak and shaky from what had just transpired and her heart was only now regaining its normal pace. She swore to herself that this snake, though she loved him to death, would certainly be the death of her.

Jasmine stormed into camp attracting the attention of Torkoal and Mordred.

"We're going." She barked, more roughly than she had intended.

Apparently her bad mood convinced Mordred to break camp without questioning her. Though he grumbled he obviously didn't want to get into another row with her so soon after they had just laid down the foundations for tentative truce between the both of them.

That had been a few hours ago. Now they were almost upon Pallet Town. Jasmine could see the few buildings that made up their destination about a mile ahead of them. For the first time since setting off on this journey, which though it had just started already felt like she had been trekking forever, she also felt as if she had finally accomplished something to be proud of. Now that she thought about it... it had been a journey just to start the damn journey. Her gaze flitted down to Seviper's decorative pokeball. Had her partner known what he was getting into when he pushed her into doing this? Had he known that he would be putting them both in jeopardy?

Her inner eye traveled back to those kids that had been traveling alone, without an adult and with more basic pokemon than Seviper and she wondered how they could survive, being so much younger than herself, while she struggled so hard just to make it day-to-day. She refused to believe that their pokemon were any stronger than her own, though they were likely further along their own journeys than she was.

"Why do people send their ten year old kids on these journeys? This stuff is dangerous!" She exploded out of nowhere, suddenly pissed for no real reason at all. At Mordreds bewildered look she rounded on him.

"I mean, geeze, I only started this stupid journey a few weeks ago and already I've seen an epic bloody battle between a pack of Houndour and my Seviper and been bodily injured by two different pokemon, one of which would have happily ripped my throat out and feasted on my meat-flesh! I've never had my life so endangered as I have just traveling this stupid road! So how can ten year olds do this shit and I'm risking my life just to get three towns over to pallet town!"

By the end of her tirade she was panting and breathing heavily, but she felt immensely better having vented all the frustration she had built since that morning. Mordred was still giving her a look that bespoke how insane he thought her to be when he formulated his well-thought response.

"I think," he began carefully, not wanting to set off another shouting episode, "that the fact most of the children travel in a group offers some sort of protection. Well, there's that, and I think pokemon league professionals, who do often sustain injury and sometimes dissapear on the job, clear the path ahead of the season of new pokemon trainers. It's hardly as dangerous after you take those factors into account."

Jasmine blinked, she had never really thought about all that, but she supposed it must be true, otherwise how would those kids survive with charmanders and squirtles unless someone went through and cleared out all the rough and tumble pokemon that would take them out. If her powerful seviper was struggling with some of these obstacles then they would surely overwhelm a newly assigned bulbasaur.

She suddenly glared at Mordred, suspicious.

"What about you? You're traveling alone and out of season. Why haven't you faced perils and danger."

The boy shrugged in reply, "guess I'm just smarter than you." The tiny smirk at the side of his mouth gave away that he was only playing, he saw her reddening face and hastily added, "I think being burned by Torkoal here is enough threat to keep most away." Jasmine's attention was drawn to the tortoise when Mordred gestured to him and she looked between them as if just noticing something.

"Where'd you get him anyway? Seems like a difficult first catch."

Mordred looked to the side, and peer intently through the underbrush as he spoke. "I didn't catch him; he was a gift from family." It was only when he had finished speaking that he turned his head back to the road and conversation.

"You didn't have trouble getting him to listen to you?" Jasmine's eyes narrowed as she pondered his reaction to her questions, something didn't seem quite right about it.

"No." he replied, and - for a moment - opened his mouth to say more, then closed it again.

Whatever Mordred had been about to add was interrupted by Professor Oaks lab which finally lay before them. Jasmine suddenly was gripped with panic as she realized this would be the first step in an overwhelmingly dangerous and complicated journey. Her lips were suddenly very dry and she licked them nervously as the world seemed to narrow to include only her, the door, and Seviper's ornate pokeball.

"Are you going to go in or are you just going to stare at it?" Mordred chuckled dryly as he opened the door and made the decision for her. She paused only a moment longer before steeling herself as she stepped past him and over the threshold to embrace her destiny.


End file.
